This is an email and my response, to a woman that was thinking about moving to Kauai with her husband. They have realistic expectations of what is needed and what they can do on the amazing isle of Kauai. Read our exchange below…

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Aloha Karen,

Thanks for writing – I’ll see if I can respond to your questions, though admittedly, some I don’t know. I’ll post this as an article at AimforAwesome, with your identifying information removed – so others can learn from the exchange…

I’ll answer in the body of your email below – or I’ll likely forget to answer some things!

Best of Life!

Peter Kay
www.AimforAwesome.com – Living in Hawaii – the ultimate way of life!

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On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 3:12 AM, Karen S.wrote:

Karen: Hi, I found your website and have enjoyed the articles. I plan to order your book. It sounds full of valuable information.

Vern: It really does have a lot of information packed into it. But, there are always other questions that remain…

Karen: My husband and I are empty-nesters who just returned from a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands aboard Pride of America. We enjoyed all of the islands, but we both actually felt a spiritual connection when we were on Kauai. We didnâ€™t want to leave and canâ€™t wait to return. Iâ€™ve never experienced anything quite like that.

Vern: I had lived on Oahu for two years before finally getting over to Kauai. It blew me away just like Oahu did years before. Kauai is magical, it really is. Yet, it’s rather expensive and there is little to do unless you love the outdoors – surf, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, reading, etc.

Karen: My husband works for the federal government as a computer hardware tech. and will be retirement eligible in ten years. In the meantime, we are checking the usajobs website every week for openings on Kauai. I am permanently disabled and drawing SSID. Also, my husband is retired from the Air Force and has a retirement check. I read that the state of Hawaii provides GA (general assistance) payments of up to $418 per month to disabled people. Do you know if these payments are automatic or are need based?

Vern: Sorry, I don’t know, or even know how to find that answer out. Maybe someone can let you know in the comments section.

Karen: The government website didnâ€™t provide this information. Also, realistically, is $5,200 per month (take home) enough for two empty-nesters to live comfortably on Kauai?

Vern: Yes, it’s enough for sure. I have a friend on Kauai now. He moved there alone, and is making only a thousand or so per month, and he’s doing OK. Depends on what your needs are really. Some can get along on $1,000 per month in Kauai… some need $8,000 per month.

Karen: We are debt free, have some savings, and live a simple life style. By that, I mean that I cook almost every day rather than going out to restaurants, we seldom ever â€œpartyâ€, and our hobbies are of the cheap variety; ping pong, bowling, playing wii at home, riding my husbandâ€™s motorcycle, gardening, and I paint and draw. What do you think? Can we afford to continue that lifestyle on Kauai on $5,200 per month?

Vern: Absolutely. There is a lot to draw on the island… A motorbike is great to have on Kauai too!

Karen: As per housing, we prefer a single family dwelling with enough land for a small garden and some fruit trees. We only need one bedroom and one bath as long as there is outdoor living space. We are not afraid of a fixer upper. I also read that I am eligible for an additional $95,000 property tax exemption and cut-rate auto insurance as a disabled person. Is it do-able or am I dreaming?

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Iâ€™ve lived Hawaii since the mid â€˜80s when I moved here at the age of 21. I arrived site-unseen in Honolulu with zero contacts and about $5k in savings. I worked from nearly zero and today Hawaii has given me the greatest gifts in the world in all aspects: spiritually, financially, romantically (married since early â€˜90s w/ 2 children), and most important, peace. My goal with this site is to share the magic of this Land of Aloha and help others who are on a similar quest.